Much research shows that tighter alcohol controls reduce alcohol-related harms, but far less is known about the mechanisms through which alcohol control reduces harms. We provide new evidence on this question using the Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) in Canada, the universe of Canadian mortality records, and extremely detailed survey data on daily alcohol consumption. Using regression discontinuity (RD) methods, we find strong gender differences in the effect of the MLDA on both mortality and the intensity with which people drink. Our results suggest that changes in very heavy drinking are primarily responsible for the harm-reducing effects of the MLDA.

Carlos Dobkin is an associate professor in the economics department at the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Faculty Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He holds a Ph.D. in economics and an MA in statistics from the University of California at Berkeley and received his BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz. His primary focuses of research are health economics, education and applied econometrics.